A fresh controversy has erupted ahead of the World Cup, as Fifa has cancelled dozens of free tickets given to fans due to a website error. The incident marks the latest issue in the tournament's ticketing programme, which is currently under investigation by the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey for potential breaches of consumer protection laws.
The website error led to the issuance of 60 free tickets, which were allocated at no charge due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process. Fifa regrets the error and any inconvenience caused to affected fans, who have been invited to complete payment of the correct amount.
This incident adds to concerns over the ticketing process, which has seen Fifa continue to sell tickets for matches despite previous announcements of all 104 games being sold out. The tournament is set to commence next Thursday in Mexico City, and uncertainty remains over whether prices for less popular games will decrease under Fifa's surge pricing model.
Fifa operates its own resale platform, imposing a 15 per cent commission on both buyers and sellers. However, platforms such as Seat Geek were still showing widespread availability for numerous games as of Friday.